steel aquarium

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Ninjafish

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 11, 2007
125
1
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st.thomas ontario
my dad is a welder, and can get me sheet metal, square stock and round stock, of all gages. i was wondering what would be the best way to build an aquarium..

im thinking of at least 500 gallons. weight isnt an issue... i was wondering if i should build all sheet metal of a certain gauge, or build a frame and plywood it in.

if its all steel sheeting, what gauge would the steel have to be for say a 500 gallon aquarium?
 
do a nice plywood tank with all square stock framing..

to do the whole thing out of marine grade stainless would be a waste of money and material
 
ive seen a couple guys use pond liner for the inside, would somthing like that be easier? (for a steel frame plywood) or do the whole fibre glass thing. im geussing liners cheaper, but my concern would be if it ever rips. does anyone here have a liner tank thats been running for a long time?

a steel frame plywood lined, then pondliner would be pretty simple and easy to build
 
Ninjafish;2480738; said:
ive seen a couple guys use pond liner for the inside, would somthing like that be easier? (for a steel frame plywood) or do the whole fibre glass thing. im geussing liners cheaper, but my concern would be if it ever rips. does anyone here have a liner tank thats been running for a long time?

a steel frame plywood lined, then pondliner would be pretty simple and easy to build
Click to expand...

I know someone who has had a really sturdy liner in their coy pond for over a decade, and it is still going strong. Liner is always a good idea, and as long as you get a thicker liner it should last; I know people who keep stingrays in lined ponds, so it must be fairly tough stuff.

I would suggest steel with a pond liner! Post updates.
 
I assume there will be glass in the front, right? I think a major issue with liners is figuring out how to seal between the liner and glass. If there's no glass and it's more of a pond setup, then definitely go with liner.
 
Sounds like a good idea, but price it out first. Lumber is VERY cheap unless you can get your metals for next to nothing. I think pond liner is your best bet also.
 
I would try the sheet metal; it would look awesome, and be pretty unique! I don't know about what gauge, but hopefully someone else here will.

Good luck with your tank build!
 
do all steel and then line it with something fish safe to keep the steel from rusting would be a good idea. if everything is free except the liner should be a cheap build why waste money on wood? IMO
 
yeah my dad can get me steel and under 40 cents a pound depending on prices that day.... we did some number crunching and for 12 gauge steel bottom, all four sides @ 60 cents a pound, for a 500 gallon tank would come to just under 200 bucks. if 12 gauge wouldnt do it i could get scrap peices and angle and stuff to weld to increase strength (frame around the steel sheets)

thats pretty cheap, he would weld it water tight (30 plus years welding experience) then pond liner.

theres is another thread on here of a plywood build with liner (http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=179928) where the guy build a little c channel to hold the window, and silicone the little c all the way around the window to the liner, and the pressure forces the window out making a seal. water never touches metal, and the liner and window hold water tight.

my uber crappy paint design, not final but an idea

glass500.JPG
 
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